May 22nd, 2014: Sleuth (1972)

What it’s About: Detective novelist Andrew Wyke (Laurence Olivier) invites his wife’s lover, hairdresser Milo Tindle (Michael Caine) to his mansion. Wyke loves games and puzzles, and beings to play one with Milo…but is he the only one playing?

Why Watch it Today: Sir Laurence Olivier was born on this date in 1907. Sleuth is a great late period film for Olivier, where he and Caine deliver powerhouse performances, each playing off the other during the story’s many shifts of advantage and plot twists, during which English class and generational warfare is waged. The less you know about it going in, the better.

I’ve always found that’s a cool way to discover a new film. Er, unless it just starts off with NO main titles at the very beginning like a few films I can think of that begin with extended pre-credit sequences (or are like RoboCop and have NO credits until the end!)…